The phaser is a high powered directed energy weapon used by the United Federation of Planets. It comprises the primary armaments of most starships, some shuttlecraft and all fighters. It was being developed during the 2nd half of the 23rd century (2250's) and comprised the primary armament of Starfleet's Constitution class Heavy Cruiser which had just entered service. Phasers replaced heavy laser weapons which had been in existence since the founding of the Federation.
Phaser stands for PHASed Energy Rectification, which refers to the process by which energy is converted to another form for release at a target with no need for an intermediate transformation process.
The force realeasing the fantastic energies of the phaser is referred to as the Rapid Nadion Effect. In brief, the Rapid Nadions are short lived subatomic particles which liberate and transfer extremly powerful nuclear forces.
Phasers range from small, concealable hand units to larger banks and emitters used on shuttlecraft and runabouts to the common banks and emitters/arrays used on starships.
Phaser banks are commenly used on older starships with exploratory or support roles. Banks commonly have limited firing arcs and have to be placed in greater numbers to provide firing protection from all angles. The more modern phaser system in use in that of the emitter/array. First used in the mid 2330's on Ambassador class vessels, phaser arrays are made up by smaller emitter segments commonly referred to as 'phaser banks'. Arrays use multiple force couplings to permit the energy of one emitter segment to be transfered to that of another instantly, a process which can be repeated on any kind of array, regardless of size.
Long Array Segments can combine the firepower of multiple emitters, a ship armed with seperate phaser banks would have to combine seperate beams to accomplish this, the firing arcs most often getting in the way.
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